1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to network management systems and more particularly relates to an apparatus, system, and method for visual log analysis.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various computer and network devices generate log records of transactions between devices, device operations, and errors. Unfortunately, the format and content of the logs are not standardized. The differences in log content and format may be particularly great between different device manufacturers. The problem may be further compounded when application log files are considered. Application log files may contain information regarding particularized operations that are only significant for one application. Understanding database log files may present an even greater challenge because of the large number of data transactions and loggable events that take place in conjunction with a database.
A network manager or network management system may manage several network, computer devices, and/or databases simultaneously. These devices may host or work in conjunction with multiple applications. If a network or application error occurs, the network manager may want to view the various log files to determine a root cause of the error. Unfortunately, the log files may be difficult to read, especially where the network contains devices and applications from more than one manufacturer or developer.
One common answer to this problem is a log analyzer. A log analyzer may automatically scan through an imported log file to provide information regarding a failure to a network administrator. Unfortunately, since log file formats are not standardized, a separate analyzer is typically required for each device or application. Moreover, the analysis reports may still be difficult to decipher, because the format of the analysis report may not be intuitive.